In an era where modern conflict transcends traditional borders and service branches, Air University’s Ira C. Eaker Center for Leadership Development hosted a cohort of two-star generals for the Joint Flag Officer Warfighting Course, Jan. 26-30.
The JFOWC, which is executed twice annually at Maxwell Air Force Base, serves as the premier training ground for generals and flag officers. Its primary mission is to prepare these leaders for the complexities of theater-level joint and combined operational command, specifically at the Joint Task Force level and above.
"JFOWC aims to prepare service chief-selected flag officers of all five services for theater-level, joint and combined operational command," said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Warren, Eaker Center flag officer education division deputy chief. "The course content includes joint and combined warfighting, command authorities, command and control, synchronization of interagency operations, operational doctrine and insights on adversary nations and capabilities."
The five-day program is meticulously structured to ensure no single service's perspective dominates the classroom. The curriculum is delivered through a strategic blend of 75% lecture and 25% discussion, featuring instruction from a panel of the defense community’s most distinguished figures, including senior civilian leaders, active-duty combatant commanders and battle-tested retired officers serving as senior mentors.
"When you bring together all these joint officers from different services, it gives us a truer understanding of how we bring everybody together," said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Charles Lombardo, 2nd Infantry Division commander. "I've been through a lot of professional military education and pre-command courses, but I've not seen this level of seniority and density. The presence of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and combatant commanders are extremely impressive. It provides the foundational skills to understand exactly how the joint force is going to fight."
To ensure a truly joint environment, the group was curated to include representatives from the U.S. Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Army and senior executives from the interagency or Department of War. This blend of leaders ensures every discussion is informed by a broad spectrum of multi-domain expertise.
While the academic rigors of military doctrine and adversary analysis are central to the program, Warren emphasized the personal connections made between the generals are equally vital to national security.
"The relationships built and strengthened during JFOWC pay huge dividends as these senior officers lead in their current assignments, and continue to advance to higher levels of responsibility,"Warren said.
The course allows senior leaders to interact on a personal level, creating what Warren calls an "expanded rolodex" of subject matter experts and mentors these officers can call upon during real-world crises.
Although individual military branches have conducted component-specific leadership training for decades, defense leaders in the 1980s identified a need for a curriculum that transcended service boundaries. This led to the creation of JFOWC, specifically designed to cultivate joint warfighting expertise among one and two-star officers.
"Since that time, JFOWC has become a cornerstone of senior leader development within the DoW," Warren said. "The program continues to evolve with the changing nature of warfare and the strategic environment."
The execution of this course is a collaborative effort sponsored by the Joint Staff J7 and overseen by each military service. It is executed by the commandants and presidents of the Army War College, Naval War College, Marine Corps University and Air University.
"We are grateful to the Joint Staff J7, Air University, the LeMay Center, our joint GO/FO [general officer/ flag officers] of education colleagues, and the services for continuing to support these courses and develop our nation’s senior leaders and warfighters," Warren said.
| Date Taken: |
02.05.2026 |
| Date Posted: |
02.06.2026 11:46 |
| Story ID: |
557618 |
| Location: |
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA, US |
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This work, Beyond the service: Joint Flag Officer Warfighting Course, by SrA Tanner Doerr, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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